


An unknown luxury

by Tedious_snow



Series: Bedtime stories [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Era, Canon Universe, Fluff, Ice Cream, M/M, No Angst, One Shot, Pre-Canon, Presents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23945632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tedious_snow/pseuds/Tedious_snow
Summary: Erwin gives Levi a small gift to celebrate becoming a CaptainORErwin gives Levi some ice cream he smuggled from the interior. Levi doesn't know how to eat it.---"...What is that?""It's ice cream.""What's ice cream?"
Relationships: Levi/Erwin Smith
Series: Bedtime stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711192
Comments: 6
Kudos: 109





	An unknown luxury

Erwin waited for a moment to make sure no wandering gaze caught him. He shifted uneasily with his back to the dressed table and politely nodded away anyone who tried to open yet another conversation. His eyes flickered over the conversing shapes of the guests, some were dancing while others exchanged sweet but pointless words. No soul looked at him. He took another side step closer.   
His eye wandered back onto the table and onto the small, delicate boxes piled just out his reach. He knew he didn't need to creep around yet something about this endeavour endorsed a feeling of secrecy. He edged closer.  
The boxes were all filled to the brim with small frills of shaved ice all piled over by larger, whole ice cubes. But Erwin wasn't here to smuggle ice from some party; Erwin could get ice in the local marketplace. No, he was here for the object snuggled under all that ice. Wrapped in some strange paper was the rare delicacy Erwin had only the pleasure to enjoy in such Summer events- ice cream. He threw a last scour of the area before turning around and facing the neat packages. They all lay open to the naked eye to choose from, but he would need to drag this box over a mile or two so having it open would not do. He snatched one of the lids laying nearby and secured it over what he deemed the freshest ice cream.   
He grasped the box, which just started to feel damp from the melting ice, and scurried away from the table to make a beeline for the exit.  
"Commander Smith, leaving so early?" He halted and stiffly turned to the drunken voice.   
"Ah, it's you..." He scrambled for a name but soon gave up. "...Yes, I regret to inform I have some work that must be done by the hour."  
"Shame, shame..." The man coughed before patting Erwin on the shoulder. Erwin grimaced internally. "Off you go then."  
"Thank you." Erwin dipped his head in politeness and brusquely weaved past the other guests to exit out the open door. The night air felt just as warm as the air in the ballroom, making it all the more important he hurried. A cab already lay in wait. He waved to the driver before entering and held the box tightly as the horse set off. He looked out the carriage window and stared at the empty streets. What would Levi think? Does he even like ice cream? He had tried not to dwell on it much while in the party but having secured the object doubts were raised again. He shook his head and smiled to himself. Levi had no reason to object to a small treat.  
In a matter of minutes the carriage had already drawn to a stop outside the HQ gates. Erwin tipped the driver generously and bade him good night before marching into the building. Now, his second challenge; locate Levi. He first thought Levi's new office but it became apparent he was absent when Erwin had knocked the door several times, and Levi was no heavy sleeper. Then he trailed off to his own office but the candles there were long dead and no hunched form was slouching on his sofa. He had frowned at that. He hurried back to Levi's office and warned before opening the door and seeing the room equally deserted. But then he saw the wide open windows. Ah.  
Still gripping the box he hastened to the floor landing and climbed to the next level. At the top of the stairs was a very quaint little room that was largely empty. It held only one door that led to the roof of the HQ. He opened the said door and stepped into the warm nightly air. And there was the crouched figure sitting precariously on the outer wall bordering the roof.  
"Took you long enough." It huffed. Erwin smiled and closed the door before approaching Levi and sitting down next to him.   
"What do you mean?" He quietly placed the box on his other side to shield it from Levi's view. "I thought I left the party rather early."  
"Yeah, but you took your sweet time running around the place. I saw you arrive from up here and you took a good while to join me." He paused and threw a suspicious glance. "You haven't even changed... What were you doing?"  
"I was looking for you. Didn't you hear the knocking in your office? The windows were open." Erwin lightly tapped his boots across the stone wall. "Why were they open?"  
"How do you think I got up here?"   
Erwin froze as he considered the information. He laughed in a mix of bewilderment and awe.  
"You mean you climbed?"  
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"   
Erwin shook his head and basked in the comforting silence that preceded Levi's words. The moon was shining full in the sky and no clouds were there to block out the twinkling stars. He sighed and breathed in the warm but clear air. It was not as crisp as most nights yet far more refreshing to breathe than the stuffy kind at daytime. Perhaps now.   
"Levi?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Seeing as you are now a Captain of your own squad, I thought it was the occasion to celebrate your promotion." He turned to face Levi, the man shifting as well with slightly widened eyes. "Here, I got this from the interior." He reached a hand back and took out the box from behind him. "...Happy promotion day."  
Levi stared at the little box and slowly made to grasp it. "Thanks..." He mumbled in a surprised tone. "I've never had a present before." He held it in his lap for a bit before looking back up at Erwin."Can I open it?"  
"Go ahead." He smiled. Levi carefully grabbed the lid and lifted it from the box. Erwin saw some of the ice had melted in the heat and formed a small water line at the bottom of the box, yet the object of attraction seemed chilled still.   
"You gave me... ice?" His brows furrowed. Erwin chuckled.  
"No, no! Look at what's in the centre."  
Levi picked out the wrapped item attentively, looking back at Erwin a few times for reassurance. He begun to peel off the paper around it and uncovered a small delicate cone of vanilla ice cream, slightly glazed over from melting. Levi held it carefully and inspected it in the moonlight. "...What is that?"   
"It's ice cream."  
"What's ice cream?"  
Erwin coughed in mild surprise, making Levi raise a questioning brow. "You've never had ice cream before?"  
"No..." Levi hummed and turned it around in his fingers.  
"Ah, well I guess it does make sense, considering your, eh, background." He cleared his throat as Levi shot another dirty look.   
"Well, what is it then?"  
"It's a type of food; a delicacy served in Summer. It is made of chilled milk if I remember correctly." Erwin watched as Levi's expression slowly lost its confusion. "You eat it." Levi nodded but his face quickly soured again.  
"And how do you propose I do that? I'm not eating with my hands if that's what you imply, you animal!"  
"No no, you don't eat it with your hands!" Erwin quickly shook his head. "You lick it!" Levi stared dumbfoundedly at Erwin and looked between him and the melting ice cream in his hand. It took some time before he shrugged and drew it to his mouth, nibbling at an edge and grinding thoughtfully. He swallowed and his eyes lit up, and he took a larger piece. "Well?"  
"It's cold..." Levi begun, still tasting it. "But it's good. I like it."   
Erwin grinned and leaned back some to stare up at the moon. "Glad you do."  
"It's weird, it's sweet like those pastries you showed me in the market yet it doesn't have a pastry texture," He took another bite. "It's more like some strange cold custard than anything. Where can we get more?"  
"Well, I smuggled this from the party, I assure you the food was free though. I guess it can be bought too at some very expensive shop deep in Sina."  
Levi hummed acknowledgement and continued to do a mix of licking and nibbling at the treat. "What are you going to do with the box of ice water?"  
"I don't know. I suppose I'll give it to the horses as their kind of treat in this blistering heat," Erwin took the box from Levi's lap and watched as he rose to stand.  
"Let's go then."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please be welcome to give comments, and the like, to this work. :)


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